Today we honor St. Andrew, often considered to be the first of Jesus’ Apostles. Andrew followed Him in His public life and then preached the Good News until he died a martyr’s death.
Reflections on the readings for the Feast of St. Andrew (November 30, 2022): ROM 10:9-18; PS 19:8,9,10,11; MT 4:18-22
MISSIO offers “Preaching Mission,” as a homily help, providing connections to mission from the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
St. Andrew is a patron of fishermen and fish sellers. He is also the patron of several countries, including both Ukraine and Russia.
On this day we recognize the life and faith of the Apostle St. Andrew. Like his brother Simon, who became St. Peter, he was a fisherman from the town of Bethsaida. In the Gospel according to St. Matthew that we hear today, we are told that “As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed Him” (Matthew 4:18-19). The Eastern Church has long-considered St. Andrew the Protoclete, or “first-called” of the Apostles because of the account of his calling in St. John’s Gospel. There we hear that Andrew was first a disciple of St. John the Baptist. Then, through the Baptist’s testimony, Andrew came to believe that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and also told Peter about Him. All the Gospels show that whatever their introduction to Christ, the two brothers became His Apostles. They left behind their former way of life in order to journey with Him throughout His ministry.
Other than in lists of the Apostles, Andrew is only specifically mentioned a couple of other times in Scriptures, but he seems to have been approachable to friends and outsiders alike. He is also revered as a loyal and capable missionary who served our Lord when the Twelve set out to spread His word among the nations of the earth. St. Andrew is believed to have gone to what are now Turkey and Greece. He is generally thought to have been martyred in the latter country in Patras sometime in the mid-60’s A.D. He died on an X-shaped cross which is now known as St. Andrew’s cross because, like his brother St. Peter, he refused to be crucified in the exact same way as Jesus. St. Andrew is a patron of fishermen and fish sellers. He is also the patron of several countries, including both Ukraine and Russia. Today we might say a special prayer asking St. Andrew to intercede with our Lord that the people there will find lasting peace and healing.
